L'un reste, l'autre part

The film was shown in the Istanbul Film Festival 2006. As I'm a fan of French movies I was thrilled to see Claude Berri's 2005 film. The classical plot is elaborately woven but its not including any real suspense or surprise. The most prominent feature which is shared by each character is their loneliness and lack of true happiness or deep feeling for anything or anyone. The individualism so characteristic of the postmodern world keeps them reserved, self-centered, self-absorbed - that is selfish and uncaring. The strange thing is, this is not considered abnormal because it's shared by everyone. Besides the one who stays is not so very different from the one who stays and the reasons of their different choices are not revealed to us. So we don't feel relieved or disturbed that either one "reste or part".Whatsoever the great actors and actresses can be an excuse to see the film.

This is one of those French movies that may not translate well for Americans. Most American movies dealing with marital infidelity usually end with someone's death as in movies like Unfaithful, Fatal Attraction, or the sinning spouse going back to the marriage. Our puritanical background, perhaps? Culturally speaking, we tend to hold that the wages of sins is death.

The French have a more nuanced view of the subject, and this movie reflects it perfectly well.

Excellent performance by all the actors, even direction, honest dialogue. This movie is to be enjoyed with an open mind.